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(No Model.)

B. SUEUR.

ZITHER ATTACHMENT FOR MUSIC BOXES. N0. 861,654. Patented Apr. 19, 1887.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDI/WARD SUEUR, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO LYON & HEALY, OF SAMEPLACE.

ZITHER ATTACHMENT FOR MUSIC-BOXES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 361,654, dated April19, 1887.

Application filed March 14, 1887. Serial No. 230,880. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD SUEUR, a citizen of Switzerland, residing atGhicago,-in the county of Cook and State of lllinois, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Zither Attachments for MusicalBoxes, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an improvement in devices commonly known aszither attachments for musical boxes, and involving, in a musical box,the presence of an elastic roll of paper or analogous material disposedtransversely to the teeth of the comb, and so arranged that it can atwill be brought against the comb-teeth, in order to produce while themusic-box is playing. the effect of a zither.

In such zither attachments it has been usual to secure a hollow elasticroll of paper or the like to a strip or bar which is raised and lowcredrelatively to the comb by the application of power to the strip orgbarat a point between its ends. Thus a cam has been used for moving theroll-carrying bar in one direction relatively to the comb and inopposition to a spring, which latter serves as a means for moving thebar in the opposite direction. In some instances such cam has beenprovided directly upon a lever, while in others the cam has been securedto a rock-shaft provided at one end with a button for turning it andjournaled in bearings applied to the metal bed or bodypiecc to which thecomb is generally secured.

The object of my improvement is to provide a simple and efficient devicefor supporting and-operating the strip or bar that carries the elasticzither-attachment roll in a vmanner whereby parallelism between theelastic roll and the plane of the comb-teeth shall be maintained underall circumstances,thereby avoiding any tendency of the roll-supportingbar to sag at either end and partially fail to accomplish the fulldesired effect by partial contact or unequal pressure along the line ofcombteeth.

A further object is to provide simple and efficient means whereby, whilethe parallelism between the elastic roll and the plane of the comb-teethcan be maintained, power can be conveniently and advantageously appliedagainst a spring resistance for bringing the elastic roll in contactwith the combteeth, while on the other hand the spring serves as a meansfor drawing the elastic roll away from i the comb-teeth in place ofbringing theelastic roll into contact with the comb-teeth, asheretofore, it being observed that where the device is operated by handto bring the elastic roll against the comb-teeth, as in the presentinstance, the extent of pressure of the said roll against the teeth canbe regulated so as to modify the zither effect, as may be desired.

To the attainment of the foregoing and other useful ends, my saidimprovement consists in matters hereinafter described, and particu- 6 5larly pointed out in theclaims.

In carrying out my invention I provide as a means for supporting thestrip or bar that carries the elastic roll two or more (but usually two)pairs of links, which are pivoted to the frame or bed-piece to which thecomb is usually attached, the said bar to which the clastic roll isattached being pivotally attached to the links, whereby when power isapplied at one end to move such end of the bar and roll 5 thereon towardthe comb the opposite end of the bar will move in unison therewith andto an equal extent. The bar is moved toward the comb by a lever pivotedadjacent to one end of the comb, and having a lateral arm arranged toact against the elastic roll-carrying bar in a manner to permit amovement of the lever in one direction to move the said bar to ward thecomb and against the resistance of a spring, which, under sucharrangement, can at one end be attached to an end of the elasticroll-carrying bar and at its opposite end attached to the frame or combsupport.

In the drawings, Figure 1 represents a top plan view of the comb of amusical box in connection with my improved zither attachment for musicalboxes. Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view, Fig. 3 a side edge elevation, andFig. 4 an end elevation, of the same.

In said drawings, the comb A is secured to 9 3 the bed-piece or frame B,and arranged rela tively to the toothed or pin cylinder Gof a music-box,as usual. The elastic pad or roll D may be composed of paper or othermaterial suited to the purpose for which it is to be used, and isapplied along and secured to a strip or bar, E, in any known or desiredway.

I that are secured This bar Eis suspended or supported by links F,desirably arranged at points adjacent to the two ends of the bar,although, if preferred, additional links could be employed intermediateof such points. These links are preferably disposed in pairs and hungupon pivots G, to the bed or frame B, the two links of each pairbeingarranged, respecti vel y, along the opposite side of the bar E, andeither separately pivoted to the side edges of the bar or secured bylongpivots passing through the bar, in which latter instance one pivot mayserve for each pair of links. It will be evident, however, that the sameresult could be attained by forming the two links of each bar rigid withone or both pivots and hinging one pivot to the bar and the other to abearing on the bed-piece, which construction will be apparent withoutspecial illustration. In this way, when power is applied at anypoint tomove the bar toward the comb teeth both pairs of links will movesimultaneously and to an equal extent, in which way the pressure of theelastic roll against the comb-teeth will be equal along the entirelength of the roll or pad.

The hand or thumb lever H, for operating the bar E in a manner to bringthe elastic roll or pad against the combtee th,is pivoted to one end ofthe bed or frame B, to which the comb is secured. This lever extends upto within convenient reach of the operator, and is provided with alaterally-extending arm or finger, h, arranged to bear against the bar Eadjacent to one end of the bar and in opposition to the resistance ofaspring, I. This spring is herein arranged to connect one end of the barE with the bed or frame B, although its location could of course bechanged without affecting its desired function.

Where the elastic roll is arranged below the comb, the arm h of thelever may bear against the under side of the bar E, as herein shown,

although, in case it is desired to arrange the elastic pad or roll overthe comb-teeth, the spring could of course be disposed to normally raisethe roll from the comb-teeth, while the arm It could be formed to bearagainst the top side of the bar E.

While any desired friction device could be used in connection with thelever II, it will be observed that when the bar E is moved to an extentto bring the links at or substantially at right angles to the plane ofthe comb the po sition of the links, combined with the elasticity of thepad or roll, and either the friction of the lever H or a weight, h, onthe upper end of said lever, will serve to hold the roll against theteeth in opposition to the spring so long as maybe necessary. It will beobserved, however, that all of said members may involve such case ofadjustment that a weight, h, applied as an ornamental knob to the lever,would be sui, ficient to hold the roll against the teeth so long as thelever might be permitted to lie at one side of the center of gravity.

\Vhat I claim as my invention is- 1. In a musical box, the combination,with the comb, of the zither attachment suspended by links,substantially as and for the purpose described.

2. I11 a musical box, the combination, with the comb, ofa zitherattachment suspended by links, and a lever for operating the zit-herattachment, si'lbstantially as and for the purpose described.

3. In a musical box, the combination, with the comb, of the zitherattachment suspended by links, the lever H, for moving the zitherattachment one way and the spring for moving the zither attachment in anopposite direction, substantially as described.

EDXVARD SUEUR.

XVi tnesses:

CHAS. G. PAGE, L. S. LOGAN.

